A WOMAN working as an aged care support worker has been banned from providing health services after stealing nearly $20,000 from an elderly man who lived with dementia and was unable to talk.
Bronwyn Jones was looking after the 79-year-old man, described as "particularly vulnerable", for 18 months between July 2018 and February 2020.
She was charged by police in May 2020 and pleaded guilty in the Gosford Local Court in August to stealing cash and failing to provide appropriate care.
She was convicted and was sentenced on September 30. She received a 13-month intensive corrections order, requiring 100 hours of community service work, as well as having to pay $18,640 in compensation.
A Health Care Complaints investigation found that as well as the large sum of cash, she stole a number of items from the man's wife.
In failing to provide adequate care, she left the man alone and unattended in his garage on a number of occasions, for up to 14 minutes at a time.
She also drank on the job, ate food which was meant for him, and took bites out of his food before handing it to him.
The Health Care Complaints Commission has found that she had no regard for the man's well-being and posed a risk to his health and safety.
Ms Jones had worked in various direct care roles within the NSW ageing and disability sector since 1995, with a focus on dementia-specific support services since 2015.
The complaint was referred to the Commission by the NSW Ageing and Disability Commission.
She had provided in-home care support to the man who suffered from advanced Alzheimers disease and was unable to communicate verbally.
The Commission described her as having been in a position of trust, caring for "a particularly vulnerable client".
"She failed in her duty of care (to him) and her conduct was wilful and egregious", having no regard to the impact her actions had on his wellbeing.
"She failed in her duty of care ... having no regard to the impact her actions had on (her patient's) wellbing."
Health Care Complaints Commission, on Bronwyn Jones, who has been permanently banned from providing care.
The Commission found she breached the Code of Conduct for unregistered health practitioners by failing to provide health services in a safe and ethical manner.
The Commission also determined that Ms Jones posed a risk to the health and safety of members of the public.
Ms Jones has been permanently prohibited from providing any health services in any capacity, either on a paid or voluntary basis.
